Rising Water-Related Violence Linked to Israeli Attacks in 2023
- A report highlights a global surge of water-related violence triggered by Israeli attacks on Palestinian water supplies.
- A quarter of all incidents include the destruction of dams, pipelines, and treatment plants in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
- The ongoing attacks have severely impacted the availability of clean water for the Palestinian population.
Israeli assaults on Palestinian water supplies in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip constituted a significant portion of global water-related violence in 2023, accounting for 25% of such incidents. Research from the Water Conflict Chronology indicates a steady increase in water-related violence since 2000, with a notable surge in recent years driven by the climate crisis and resource scarcity. The tracker documented only 20 water conflicts in 2000, highlighting the escalating nature of these disputes. Peter Gleick, co-founder of the Pacific Institute, emphasized that the rise in violence reflects failures in enforcing international law and providing safe water and sanitation. He noted a global uptick in water-related violence, particularly in the Middle East, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where the water situation was already critical before Israel's military response to Hamas's attack on October 7. The destruction of Gaza's water and wastewater infrastructure has further deteriorated living conditions. Incidents of violence have also been reported in the West Bank, including Israeli settlers allegedly damaging Palestinian agricultural lands and infrastructure. The Israeli foreign ministry has dismissed international legal rulings regarding these actions as biased. Meanwhile, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine saw a 26% decrease in water-related attacks, yet incidents remain prevalent, underscoring the broader implications of climate change on water access in conflict zones worldwide.